The events that transpired today were entirely beyond Ye Zhiqiu's expectations from start to finish.
First, he encountered a group of brats barely over ten years old who spouted nonsense and provocatively picked a fight. Not only that, but they also demonstrated extraordinary talent.
Initially, he thought he had run into some rich, arrogant second-generation disciples from a powerful sect, out flaunting their status and bullying the weak. However, to his surprise, they claimed to be from a place he had never heard of — "Shrek Academy."
Just as Ye Zhiqiu began to relax, thinking the situation wasn't too serious, their accompanying teacher turned out to be a powerful Soul Saint.
Fortunately, for reasons unknown, a mysterious expert hidden in the shadows used an incomprehensible method to greatly enhance his strength, allowing him to jump directly to the level of a Soul Douluo, effortlessly crushing that Soul Saint.
Not only that, Ye Zhiqiu now had a vague premonition.
Having experienced the sensation of controlling power far beyond his own and the unique insight from the heavens and earth, ascending to the rank of Soul Emperor in the future would be a breeze for him.
He even felt that the Soul Saint realm, once a distant goal, might now be within reach in his lifetime.
However, along with his joy, a sense of unease crept into his heart.
There's no such thing as a free lunch.
At Ye Zhiqiu's age, having fought his way up with average talent, he knew well that all fortune came with a price.
If nothing else, the kids in front of him posed a great potential threat.
After all, the power he had used today wasn't truly his own. But these children would certainly continue to grow, and at an alarming rate.
Whether it was this Soul Saint or these exceptionally promising kids, the possibility of future revenge was not out of the question.
And he knew nothing about the mysterious expert hidden in the shadows. What were their true intentions behind today's actions?
Such incomprehensibly powerful beings always invoked a sense of dread.
On the other side, while Ye Zhiqiu was filled with mixed emotions, the people of Shrek Academy were genuinely on edge and full of worry.
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, in particular, were pale with fear.
Who would have thought that in this small, remote town, the seemingly unremarkable Blue Sunshine Academy would have a hidden, top-tier expert as their teacher?
It's important to know how rare Soul Douluo-level powerhouses are on the entire continent.
Even in a major empire like the Star Luo Empire, a Soul Douluo would be among the strongest, just below the Emperor.
In any power structure outside the Spirit Hall, a Soul Douluo would undoubtedly be a top leader.
If they were part of an academy, they would at least hold the position of headmaster or vice-headmaster. How could someone like that be escorting a few average young Soul Masters on a training trip?
Zhao Wuji could easily see through these concerns, just as Dai Mubai and the others could.
Despite his rough appearance, Zhao Wuji was very meticulous. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to evade the Spirit Hall's pursuit for over a decade and remain unharmed.
In his view, experts of such caliber typically valued their dignity and would rarely stoop to bullying the weak.
As long as he admitted fault and sincerely apologized, there was an 80% chance the matter could be resolved peacefully.
After all, they knew the opposing group came from Blue Sunshine Academy.
Having regained a bit of strength, Zhao Wuji freed himself from Dai Mubai and the others' support and struggled to stand upright.
His face pale, he bowed deeply to Ye Zhiqiu and said, "I sincerely apologize. Today's events are my fault for not managing my students properly. We will leave immediately."
He then turned to Dai Mubai and the others who had previously made a move and scolded, "Hurry up and apologize to this senior."
Dai Mubai gritted his teeth, glanced at the exhausted Zhao Wuji, and realized that the current situation didn't allow for any pride.
A man must be able to bend and stretch. Bowing to a Soul Douluo was no big deal.
"Senior, I apologize. I was reckless in my words earlier. Please forgive me."
"Senior, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spoken so carelessly. Please, don't hold a grudge against someone as insignificant as me."
Ma Hongjun, who had never had much backbone, saw that their greatest support had fallen, and with Dai Mubai taking the lead, he quickly followed suit and apologized.
On the other side, Xiao Wu, pale-faced, hesitated for a moment before preparing to apologize as well.
If anyone present was the most afraid, it was undoubtedly Xiao Wu.
At the same time, she felt somewhat fortunate.
It was a relief that their opponent was only a Soul Douluo. If they had encountered a Titled Douluo, her true identity might have been exposed, and she would surely have died today.
But just as she was about to speak, Tang San gently pulled her wrist.
She turned to look at him, and saw him shaking his head slightly.
Tang San didn't want to bow and apologize.
He didn't feel he had done anything wrong.
So what if the person before him was a Soul Douluo? Right is right, and wrong is wrong. They were simply relying on their age and power to bully others.
Of course, what he was really banking on was that there might still be a chance to turn things around.
Tang San cast a quick glance at the two people sitting a bit further away.
Ning Rongrong.
She was the ace in their hand.
If the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan revealed her identity, could this Soul Douluo still act so recklessly?
The reputation of the Three Upper Sects was no joke. By then, who would have to apologize to whom was still uncertain!
If all else failed, they could always apologize later.
Seeing Tang San's attitude, Zhao Wuji grew anxious.
But he hesitated to force Tang San to apologize.
He already knew Tang San's true identity.
If Tang San's father found out about this later, Zhao Wuji would definitely be in trouble.
Fortunately, Ye Zhiqiu didn't seem to care about Tang San and Xiao Wu's attitude.
In fact, he didn't even glance at the students.
Ye Zhiqiu's eyes remained fixed on Zhao Wuji, his gaze cold and filled with killing intent.
"You speak lightly. Your students were the ones who provoked us with insults, and they even injured my students. Then, instead of correcting them, you defended them and insulted our Blue Sunshine Academy. Do you feel no guilt whatsoever?
"If I hadn't been stronger today, we all know what would have happened. And now you think that just apologizing will settle this?"
When he mentioned being "stronger," Ye Zhiqiu's face flushed slightly.
He knew full well how things had really played out. With his meager strength, he had been destined to suffer a loss today.
However, the mysterious expert in the shadows had instructed him to say this, and Ye Zhiqiu dared not disobey.
Zhao Wuji frowned, sensing the situation was growing more complicated.
"So, what do you want?"
"It's not about what I want. It's about you. Have you thought about how you want to die today?"
As he spoke, a terrifying killing intent surged forth.
A sharp, bone-chilling aura like a blade hung over everyone's throats.
No one was spared — not Dai Mubai and the others who had previously made a move, nor Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong, who had stayed out of the fight.
"… What exactly do you intend to do?"
Su Yue's gaze swept over the Shrek Academy group.
Though her strength was currently weak, under Su Cheng's domain, her senses were exceptionally keen, allowing her to perceive every detail of the scene.
She could feel it clearly — Su Cheng's killing intent was indiscriminate, directed at everyone equally.
Even Zhu Zhuqing had not been given any special consideration.
Although this killing intent carried some level of falsehood, the people present couldn't perceive the difference, and all of them endured immense psychological pressure.
Zhao Wuji was furious yet anxious; Dai Mubai was overwhelmed with a mixture of regret, resentment, and fear; Oscar was worried, while Ma Hongjun was at a complete loss; Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu were both panic-stricken; and only Tang San and Zhu Zhuqing barely managed to maintain their composure.
In the end, Su Yue's gaze fell back on Su Cheng.
At this moment, she was a little confused.
It seemed that Su Cheng's actions weren't what she had expected, as if he wasn't standing up for Zhu Zhuqing.
Su Cheng glanced at Su Yue and said indifferently, "I'm putting on a show for you, so watch carefully and don't let your thoughts wander."
On the other side, after Zhao Wuji truly sensed Ye Zhiqiu's killing intent, his eyes immediately widened in disbelief, his face filled with astonishment. "You're going to kill us?! You've lost your mind! This is such a minor issue, and you want to kill over it? We never intended to kill anyone earlier!"
"The rule that we can hurt but not kill—is that your rule? Are you the Pope of the Spirit Hall?" Ye Zhiqiu mocked.
His gaze shifted from Zhao Wuji, whose aura was fluctuating violently, to Dai Mubai and the others, who all displayed various emotions. "These kids have extraordinary talent and immense potential. One day, they might even become Title Douluos. I must nip this in the bud, or there will be endless troubles in the future."
"You're overthinking it," Zhao Wuji said through gritted teeth, his voice heavy under the enormous pressure. "I can guarantee that nothing like that will ever happen."
"I don't trust people like you."
"...With your profound strength, why is your heart so narrow? Do you really intend to bully the weak today?"
"Bully the weak?" Ye Zhiqiu sneered. "Bully the weak is wrong, but it was fine when you relied on strength to oppress others? Earlier, you dared to be disrespectful, wasn't that because you believed your strength was superior? You provoke without reason, and when your strength isn't enough, you resort to moral blackmail. Is this how you, as a teacher, behave? No wonder I've never heard of 'Shrek Academy' before. It seems all your students have been killed by someone."
"You're spouting nonsense!"
Hearing such an insult to his beloved academy, Zhao Wuji's face turned red with rage.
However, he wasn't skilled at debating, and no counter-argument came to mind, causing him to feel anxious.
His powerful Soul Saint level aura fluctuated unpredictably, and the phantom of his spirit, the Vigorous Vajra Bear, reappeared.
Dai Mubai's cold sweat trickled down his temples and slid down the side of his face. His whole body trembled uncontrollably, and his White Tiger Spirit manifested behind him.
He didn't intend to resist like Zhao Wuji.
It was merely an uncontrollable reaction under immense external pressure.
Beside Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun's response was even more exaggerated.
He felt a surge of heat in his groin, which quickly cooled in the special environment, leaving him shivering in the cold.
Su Cheng's killing intent, though false, wasn't something everyone could withstand.
In comparison, Ma Hongjun seemed to have the weakest mental fortitude among them.
Oscar, at least, fared a bit better.
Although he was also trembling with fear, his mind blank, he instinctively moved closer to Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, as if trying to protect them.
Though this was meaningless—being a food-type Spirit Master, he had no combat power.
Zhu Zhuqing, on the other hand, made a surprising move.
She subtly shifted her position, stepping in front of Ning Rongrong.
At that moment, Zhu Zhuqing's thoughts were simple.
Escape was impossible.
If the Soul Douluo before them truly intended to kill all of them, she knew she wouldn't survive.
A desperate fight might offer a slim chance of survival, but much depended on how Zhao Wuji performed.
It seemed that the Soul Saint was ready to risk everything.
However, if Zhao Wuji didn't have any hidden cards, they might not survive this ordeal.
Their earlier exchange had been utterly one-sided; the gap in strength was too vast.
In that case, her fate would depend on Ye Zhiqiu's attitude.
Since that was the case, why not take the opportunity to win Ning Rongrong's favor?
If death was inevitable, then nothing would matter.
But if they survived, perhaps she could use this to her advantage and build a deeper connection with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's little princess, potentially gaining access to cultivation resources.
At the same time, Zhu Zhuqing felt a sense of relief that she hadn't foolishly joined Dai Mubai in offending the leader of Blue Sunshine Academy.
It wasn't difficult to logically sort through benefits and make a decision like this.
However, in the face of life and death, how many people could remain calm?
At this moment, only Zhao Wuji, Tang San, and Zhu Zhuqing still retained some rationality.
Zhao Wuji's growth had not been smooth. He had spent many years on the run, surviving many dangerous situations. He wasn't as crude as he appeared on the surface.
Tang San had experienced much and, despite his outward appearance as a child, had a mind far beyond his years.
He had willingly leapt off a cliff in his previous life, so he wasn't so easily driven mad by fear.
Zhu Zhuqing was in a similar situation.
The threat of death had always been a part of her life.
Growing up in the Duke's mansion, there wasn't a day her family didn't worry about her spirit being exposed.
Of course, Zhu Zhuqing's actions weren't solely driven by self-interest.
In this academy, there were only three female students.
Xiao Wu was always sticking to Tang San, so Ning Rongrong was her only close friend.
From childhood to now, Zhu Zhuqing had rarely gone out. To this day, Ning Rongrong was the only person she could call a friend.
As the situation remained tense, Ye Zhiqiu spoke again.
He looked at Zhao Wuji and said calmly, "As a Soul Saint, if you really wanted to fight me to the death without regard for the consequences, it would cause quite a commotion. While I could kill you, it might attract unwanted attention. So, I've decided to spare you. But as for your students, I can't let them go. You should leave."
Upon hearing this, the atmosphere shifted once again.
Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others grew even more panicked.
Zhu Zhuqing lowered her eyelids, quickly calculating her next move, while Ning Rongrong grabbed onto her sleeve.
Tang San's expression changed slightly, and he glanced at Zhao Wuji from the corner of his eye with suspicion.
Zhao Wuji stared at Ye Zhiqiu with a grim expression. "Aren't you afraid of my revenge?"
Ye Zhiqiu sneered. "You've reached this age and you're still just a Soul Saint. Why should I fear you?"
Zhao Wuji remained silent, his gaze shifting to Ning Rongrong and Tang San.
He hesitated, wondering if he should bring up their backgrounds as a threat.
As for abandoning his students and escaping alone, the thought crossed his mind briefly but was quickly dismissed.